Lost Spire (Belfry of Bruges)

Gouden Boomstoet, Bruges, Belgium, 2024

“Lost Spire (Belfry of Bruges)” forms the finale of the Gouden Boom procession in Bruges and investigates the relationship between human construction and nature. For the first time, the folkloric tradition of the procession is linked to contemporary art. The work will continue to live and evolve alongside the future editions of the procession, and will thus be meaningful over several years. “Lost Spire (Belfry of Bruges)” consists of five monumental, lightweight installations. Together, they make up a 15 meter-long spire which is supported by 40 bearers. They form an interpretation of the last wooden spire that adorned the belfry of Bruges in the 15th century. The Belfry’s wooden spire burned down a total of three times and with the last occurrence in 1741 after which no new spire were rebuilt. Each installation of “Lost Spire (Belfry of Bruges)” contains metal surfaces that show drawings that reference historical book illuminations, stained glass windows, or miniatures from the Middle Ages. The textiles that make up the volume of the installation display a large medieval map of the sea and rivers that ran throughout the city. This map constitutes traces of a century in which the sea flowed deeper inland than our current time, and at the same time references a vision of the future marked by the consequences of climate change. “Lost Spire (Belfry of Bruges)” questions the impact of sea level rise on the monuments and the historic heritage that Bruges is known for and what we might take for granted.